Picking out a wedding dress can be a very stressful task for a bride-to-be. It’s a huge day, so the pressure it on to look their absolute best. Everything from the cut to the shape to the style have to be flawless!
So of course, it’s overwhelming. Where do you go shopping for the dress? Who do you enlist for help? How do you know you’ve found “the one” (besides your partner!)?
Luckily, these 60 brides had some great advice to give so that you don’t have to wander around and feel totally lost leading up to the wonderful day.
It is in your best interest to call the shop ahead of time so that you can check to see if they even have what you want. Sometimes their website isn’t accurate. Also ask to see which sizes they have!
You can see if you can drop in before your appointment so that you can look at the dresses in person. Just doing that will help a lot and give you a better idea. You might see a dress you love online but then realize it is way too heavy in real life.
You can see if there are any salons that are able to come to you if you’re not one to shop in-store. It can reduce a lot of stress!
4. Don’t try your dream dress first
Why? Because if it doesn’t work, you might suddenly feel discouraged which might throw you off your game and make it feel like
no dress is right. Find a good contender first.
It’s not a bad idea to start off your appointment with a dress you think you’d never try. Something complete opposite of your style… That way, you can take some pressure off and have fun trying on something silly. Plus, it might give you some good ideas.
6. Only take what you want
Take something because you want it, and not because anyone else wants it. If you want to go for nontraditional and your very-opinionated mother wants you to go for traditional, don’t invite her. This is about you and your instinct!
7. Don’t try dresses that are out of your budget
Because you will probably love it and then be really disappointed that you can’t buy it.
8. Trust your sales consultant
They’ve done this maybe, oh, a billion times? The have the experience and eye to know what they’re doing. If they bring over a dress you initially hate, try it anyway.
Bring your shoes with you and put them on after you put on the dress so that you can see if you can crouch and sit in it. A great test.
10. Remember one of the most important things
Which is that your partner loves you no matter what. They’re marrying you, after all! Be yourself.
Your gut instinct isn’t there to be ignored. If something feels right or wrong to you, go with it and trust that. Don’t listen to any other opinions.
12. Don’t be afraid of the sales
Just because wedding gowns are notoriously pricey doesn’t mean they have to be, and the sale rack shouldn’t be off limits. Check it out, and you just might get lucky and find the perfect dress there!
Speaking of taking the nontraditional route, also don’t be afraid to hit up Etsy. You might find the perfect dressmaker there who can customize it for you.
14. Hair and makeup tests before you shop
If you look tired and not done up, that might be the only thing you notice when you look in the mirror.
Especially if you are unsure about how you’re going to wear your hair on the big day. This way you can play with how it looks down and up while you have the dress on.
Wear decent, clean underwear. Other people are guaranteed to see it.
Remember that alterations will drive the price up a little bit more, so keep that in mind.
18. Remember that sizes mean nothing
Don’t get too caught up in what size you’re wearing. If it’s a size up or down more than you thought it’d be, it doesn’t mean anything. All brands run differently and no one else will be caring about that. You look great!
19. Ordering a size up is sometimes best
Don’t try to squeeze into a smaller size just for the sake of wearing a smaller size. Wear what fits best and you can always get it taken in.
That’s really who is going to make the dress look perfect on you.
21. Add accessories to your look
It can easily help you make a decision.
22. Look for a veil online
Buying a veil in the salon can usually be a rip-off, and you’ll end up spending way more money than you should on it. Again, try something like Etsy.
Try not to get too caught up in brands and designers. Some brides have said that they had no luck in finding a good designer dress, and then they would end up finding something perfect at a shop like ASOS, that sells dresses for around a hundred bucks.
24. Make sure the dress is comfortable
You are going to be doing a whole lot of mingling, dancing, eating and drinking in that dress. And when you’re doing your vows, you’ll want to focus on those, not how uncomfortable you are!
25. Finding The One might not be that emotional for you
You might not cry when you finally do find the dress, and that is okay. Don’t get down because it’s some huge, emotional moment that you see on TV. This is real life!
If you want to, that is! Don’t feel pressure to do something just because a friend or family member wants you to. If you’re dreaming of a pink gown, get a pink gown. This is
your day that
you will be looking back on.
27. Consider bridesmaids dresses
Don’t totally doubt them. They often come in white or ivory as well, and the prices are usually a little bit lower.
28. Ask yourself this question
Would you be jealous of someone else who was wearing your dress? If you can answer that question, it will help you with your decision.
Looking at a photo of yourself is different from looking in the mirror. Have someone else take a photo — it can offer a really helpful perspective.
30. Don’t go for the big white dress
That is, if you don’t want the big white dress. Oftentimes, women feel like they have to do what society wants them to do. But despite years of doing the same thing, do what you want to do.
31. Have a dress reveal party
It’s much harder for people to give their opinion on a dress that you have already decided on. Provide some snacks and refreshments and include everyone you love in the big reveal — it will be way less stressful!
32. Tell your seamstress exactly what you want
Like,
exactly what you want. They ain’t mindreaders, although that would be cool.
When you’re scheduling your final fitting, make sure you leave plenty of time before the wedding. You will need that extra buffer room to make any last adjustments.
Setting a budget is so important, as it will help narrow down your choices and help set realistic expectations.
35. Start shopping 9-12 months ahead
If you can, of course. If it’s not a last minute wedding, you really want to give yourself an optimal amount of time so there is zero stress or pressure.
You’re going to want to see what’s out there and price check everything so that you don’t wind up spending too much money on a dress that’s not worth it. Know the materials, the designers, etc. And know that your local salon might not be as great as a designer on Etsy!
Social media is a great way to discover and save gown ideas. Start a folder on Instagram that you can save photos to, and also utilize Pinterest and create different boards for different ideas you can refer to at any time.
Think words like “sexy,” “lace,” “tailored,” “puffy,” and more. All of this will greatly help your stylist.
39. Choose your bridal friends carefully
Think very carefully about who you want to surround yourself with during this time. Do you
really want to invite the judgemental friend to the fitting? Or the aunt you’re not close with to the dress reveal? This is all about you and making sure you feel great. No negativity!
40. Have a list of questions ready
This will make sure you cover everything on your mind and will be super helpful for your stylist.
41. Give yourself a beauty morning
Whatever that may mean for you — a face mask, a bath, or a hot yoga session, for instance. It’s so important that you not only look great, but feel great going into what could potentially be a stressful situation.
42. Be open to different dresses
You might go in there thinking you want a poofy white dress and you might come out of there with a form-fitting ivory dress. Don’t question it — be open to all possibilities and follow your heart.
43. Think about the weather
Is this an indoor wedding? Outdoor? On the beach? In the snow? Consider all potential climate factors and how that might affect your dress.
44. Don’t be afraid to say yes to the first dress
Love the very first dress you tried? Don’t question it! Be grateful, because not every bride is hit with that luck. Try on a few things after that, but don’t think it’s wrong to take the first one if that’s what feels right.
45. See if the salon will bundle your things
If you can get your dress, veil, and accessories all together in a bundle, that could work out to be a good deal.
46. Save contracts and delivery dates
Never know when you’ll need them!
You might think you need 20 people to come along on the journey with you, but you don’t. It’ll only create confusion.
48. Step out of your comfort zone
You might think that you want a certain shape or color, but that might not be the case. You don’t know until you try it, so maybe try a shape that you
think would be bad. It might not be!
After trying on, if there are a few contenders, keep track of them on a list or an app so that you can think of them fairly, side to side.
A good consultant will make you aware of every payment, style number, delivery date, alteration fee, deposit, and cancellation fee. All really important to know.
Standing still in the dress fitting room won’t really give you an accurate representation of how it will feel on the big night. Move around, sit, jump — whatever you think will give you a better idea of the fit.
It’s important to trust your stylist, but also let them know what it is exactly what you want. This is for you, after all. Don’t be shy.
53. It’s okay to be nitpicky
Honestly, if there’s even one thing you don’t like about the gown, don’t buy it.
It’s important to have a budget and to stick with it, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to outsmart it. Check for bundling and for cheaper designers online. Anything you can do to maximize your money and get a bang for your buck.
55. Choose a convenient boutique location
Because you’ll probably be going there a lot. Also, if there are any last minute problems, you want to make sure you’re able to get there.
The underwear you wear is important, but it’s also important to think about what shaping garments you’ll be wearing, if any. Bring those to try on dresses as well.
57. Determine the dress code
If there’s a certain dress code for your wedding, you want to make sure your gown falls in line with that as well.
58. Shop at the right time
Saturday afternoons are typically the most popular times to go wedding dress shopping, so if you can pick a different day to avoid the traffic, do it.
59. Buy a dress that fits now
Sure, you may be planning to have a different body by the time the wedding comes around, but truth is, you’re not there yet. So get something that fits now and make alterations later.
Opinions from friends, family, and your stylist are nice, but the only opinion that truly matters is yours.
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Picking out a wedding dress can be a very stressful task for a bride-to-be. It’s a huge day, so the pressure it on to look their absolute best. Everything from the cut to the shape to the style have to be flawless!
So of course, it’s overwhelming. Where do you go shopping for the dress? Who do you enlist for help? How do you know you’ve found “the one” (besides your partner!)?
Luckily, these 60 brides had some great advice to give so that you don’t have to wander around and feel totally lost leading up to the wonderful day.
